Get some “Sea Glass” on the Shores of Cape Breton

Get some “Sea Glass” on the Shores of Cape Breton

If collecting “Sea Glass” is one of your favourite pastimes, then the Cape Breton beaches are the place for you! On the other hand, if you haven’t collected sea glass in the past, then maybe you should start doing it and see why so many people like doing it!

What is “Sea Glass” you ask… well, it’s when older pieces of glass from broken bottles have rolled around in the sea for many years and due to the rubbing of the glass against stones and sand, create a smooth frosted finish and removes all of the sharp edges. It comes in a variety of colours, sizes and shapes and gives many people something very interesting to do when walking the beaches of this area.

You might ask… “What do people do with Sea Glass when they find it”?

Well, they do lots of things with sea glass. They make jewellery, ornamental art, display items and some just simply collect them in a jar as they are unique and sometimes hard to find. Many coloured glass pieces are much harder to find than others as coloured glass bottles were rarer in the past and so when you are able to find some bright red or deep blue pieces, they are very unique! As well, the shape of every piece of glass is unique and so each piece of sea glass has a special place in jewellery or art.

In the County of Inverness, there are several beaches well known for finding Sea Glass. There are Port Hood Beach, Inverness Beach (both of which are located on Highway 19 known as the “Ceilidh Trail”) and all of the Cheticamp beach (just off the Cabot Trail).

One of the greatest benefits of collecting Sea Glass is that not only do you get to see the spectacular shores, but you get one more thing to do while enjoying walking the local beaches in Cape Breton.

Maybe you are not able to walk the beaches, but that does not limit you from getting Sea Glass in Cape Breton. There are many gift and craft shops in Cape Breton that sell “raw” pieces of Sea Glass, or Sea Glass in art or jewellery, which will save you the need to scour the amazing beaches we have in Cape Breton. One place worth dropping into is Flora’s on the east side of Cheticamp to see these types of items as well!

However, I strongly suggest you take the time to visit and enjoy the experience of our amazing beaches with a small pail and scoop just in case you decide to take part in one of our favourite past times on the shores of Cape Breton. As well, make sure you dip your toes in the Atlantic Ocean, even if it is simply to obtain a new checkmark on your bucket list!